Hibiscus, Lord Baltimore

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Short Description

A surefire winner with striking red flowers.

Full Description

Strikingly beautiful 10" red flowers grab attention from across the garden. Plants, with nicely contrasting deep green, lobed leaves, reach a statuesque height of 6-8 ft. and spread fully to 3-4 ft. It loves the heat of summer and prefers full sun to partial shade and moist to wet soil conditions. A surefire winner not to be missed.

Zone
This refers to the USDA hardiness zone assigned to each part of the country, based on the minimum winter temperature that a region typically experiences. Hardiness zone ranges are provided for all perennial plants and you should always choose plants that fall within your range.

5-9

Sun
The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.

Full Sun, Part Sun

Height
The typical height of this product at maturity.

72-96 inches

Spread
The width of the plant at maturity.

36-48 inches

Bloom Season
The time of the year when this product normally blooms.

Fall, Summer

Resistant To
Adverse garden conditions, such as heat or frost, deer or rabbits, that this product can tolerate well.

Soak seeds in room temperature water for about 8 hours to speed germination

Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in seed-starting formula

Keep the soil moist at 70-75 degrees F

Seedlings emerge in 14-21 days

As soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3-4 inches beneath fluorescent plant lights turned on 16 hours per day, off for 8 hours at night. Raise the lights as the plants grow taller. Incandescent bulbs will not work for this process because they will get too hot. Most plants require a dark period to grow, do not leave lights on for 24 hours.

Seedlings do not need much fertilizer, feed when they are 3-4 weeks old using a starter solution (half strength of a complete indoor houseplant food) according to manufacturer’s directions.

If you are growing in small cells, you may need to transplant the seedlings to 3 or 4 inch pots when seedlings have at least 2 pairs of true leaves before transplanting to the garden so they have enough room to develop strong roots

Before planting in the garden, seedling plants need to be “hardened off”. Accustom young plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Be sure to protect them from wind and hot sun at first. If frost threatens at night, cover or bring containers indoors, then take them out again in the morning. This hardening off process toughens the plant’s cell structure and reduces transplant shock and scalding.

Planting Potted Plants in the Garden:

Select a location in full sun with good rich moist organic soil.

Prepare the bed by turning the soil under to a depth of 6-12, inches removing any debris, and lightly raking as level as possible.

The addition of organic matter (leaf mold, compost, well-rotted manure) benefits all gardens and is essential in recently constructed neighborhoods.

Plant on a cloudy day or in late afternoon to reduce transplant shock.

Dig a hole for each plant large enough to amply accommodate the root ball.

Unpot the plant and gently loosen the root ball with your hands to encourage good root growth.

Place the top of the root ball even with the level of the surrounding soil. Fill with soil to the top of the root ball. Press soil down firmly with your hand.

Use the plant tag as a location marker.

Thoroughly water and apply a light mulch layer on top of the soil (1-2 inches) to conserve water and reduce weeds.

Planting Bare Root Plants in the Garden:

Select a location in full sun with good rich moist organic soil.

Dig a hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the bare root.

Set the plant so that the crown is at or just slightly below the ground level. Allow the roots to fan out from the crown at around a 45 degree angle. Roots should spread out separately, like stretched fingers, from the crown, and not bunch up. It may be helpful to build a cone-shaped mound of soil in the bottom of the hole and spread the roots around it. It is very important to set the roots such that the crown is roughly level with the ground.

Cover the roots with soil and tamp down firmly to get rid of air pockets. Fill the soil to just the top of the crown, where the top growth and leaves will emerge. Make sure all the roots under the crown are in good contact with the soil.

Water very well to fully saturate the roots and the soil.

Wait until new growth starts to appear before applying a layer of mulch.

Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their germination.

Mulches also help retain soil moisture and maintain even soil temperatures. For perennials, an organic mulch of aged bark or shredded leaves lends a natural look to the bed and will improve the soil as it breaks down in time. Always keep mulches off a plant’s stems to prevent possible rot.

Careful watering is essential in getting perennials off to a good start. Water thoroughly at least once a week to help new roots grow down deeply. Soil should be damp at about 1 inch below the soil surface. You can check this by sticking your finger in the soil. Water early in the morning to give all leaves enough time to dry. One inch of rain or watering per week is recommended for most perennial plants. You can check to see if you need to add water by using a rain gauge.

Until plants become established, some protection from extreme winds and direct, hot sunlight may be necessary. Good air movement is also important.

After new growth appears, a light fertilizer may be applied. Keep granular fertilizers away from the plant crown and foliage to avoid burn injury. Use low rates of a slow release fertilizer, as higher rates may encourage root rots.

Hibiscus may require staking to prevent them from falling over in the wind.

In colder regions, apply another layer of mulch (1-2 inches) after the ground freezes in fall. Evergreen boughs (from Christmas trees) provide additional protection. Remove this mulch in the spring.

Divide when plants become overcrowded, bloom size begins to diminish or plants lose their vigor. Divide hibiscus in early spring. Dig clumps from the ground and with a sharp knife or spade, cut into good sized divisions, each with several growing eyes and plenty of roots. Remove any dead or unhealthy plant parts and cut back stems. Replant one division where the plant was originally and plant the extra divisions elsewhere in your garden or give them away to gardening friends. Plant the divisions immediately, or as soon as possible, and water well.

Many gardeners do not cut back perennial flower seed heads in the fall, but wait until early spring before the new foliage appears. This provides food for wildlife over the winter.

Remember hibiscus flowers only last one day, do not be concerned if you see them fall off, plenty more will come!

Product Details

Zone

5-9

Sun

Full Sun, Part Sun

Height

72-96 inches

Spread

36-48 inches

Bloom Season

Fall, Summer

Resistant To

Deer

Ornamental Use

Beds, Borders

Planting Time

Fall, Spring

Genus

Hibiscus

Life Cycle

Perennial

Reviews

Hibiscus, Lord Baltimore is rated
3.8 out of
5 by
4.

Rated 5 out of
5 by
JuJu48TX from
Lord Baltimore is 8 yers old now!My Lord Baltimore is 8 years old now and comes back every year with more beautiful blooms. We cut ours back to maybe only 4-6 inches above ground about mid November. We started with ONE plant and now we have 8 because when the seed pods drop, they can make new plants. We are in Texas with dark clay and we never do anything to the soil except water. We get lots of compliments on them and the hummingbirds LOVE them!

Date published: 2015-08-10

Rated 5 out of
5 by
NancyB3 from
Thriving in TX heatMy original soil is Texas clay, but I have been adding bags of garden soil purchased from my local garden center to my perennial beds for a few years now. I have tried growing hibiscus plants purchased locally, and they do fine that year, but have never made it through the winter. I needed some red in my perennial garden, so I bought one Lord Baltimore plant last spring and it did come back this spring and is getting so big and top heavy I had to stake it. There are many buds on the plant, so I know I will see flowers soon. I bought another LB plant last fall and when it came it was just a dried up stick and I didn't think it would make it, but I planted it anyway. To my surprise, it is also doing well and is also about to bloom, although it's not as tall as the one I bought.in the spring. As a side note, the region of TX where I live got hit bad by the recent floods in May and many of my perennials didn't make it. But both Lord Baltimore's (and the Cranberry Crush plants I bought from Burpee's this spring) are all thriving. Thanks Burpee's!

Date published: 2015-06-21

Rated 2 out of
5 by
steph621 from
stick and leavesi have had nothing but great success with seeds from Burpee, so i figured ordering live plants would be amazing as well. i ordered 2 Lord Baltimore plants. both are simply a stem with a few leaves. however, one of my stems arrived cracked and the leaves are dried up and are about to fall off. i hope it will come back but given the condition of all of that plants that i received in my latest order, i doubt that it will.

Date published: 2014-04-22

Rated 3 out of
5 by
MagnoliaBlue from
Big Beautiful FlowersI live in zone 5 and for me this plant did not return the following year. I'm not sure why. But, for one summer the flowers were amazingly big and beautiful.